Ukraine Team and Fundraisers to Speak at Christian Aid Gathering

Wednesday February 14 2024

Members of the Christian Aid Scotland team, including Charlie Meiklejohn, Community Engagement and Fundraising Manager (far right).

Christian Aid Scotland fundraisers and members of the charity’s Ukraine team will speak at this year’s Gathering for supporters, at the end of this month.

The annual Gathering, an online event taking place this year on February 27, aims to inform, educate and inspire Christian Aid supporters.

The Ukraine programme team will talk about recent projects where solutions have been driven by the communities themselves.

There will also be a celebration of fundraising highlights from the past year, including the chance to hear from Yvonne Holland, who walked over 1000 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End in the summer, raising over £1500 for Christian Aid. Church of Scotland minister the Rev Leslie Milton, from St Andrew’s High Church in Musselburgh, will also talk about his experience of taking part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk.

Christian Aid Scotland’s Community Engagement and Fundraising Manager Charlie Meiklejohn said: “The Gathering is our hugely popular annual event when we celebrate what we’ve achieved together over the previous year but also look to deepen supporters’ knowledge of our partner work and hopefully inspire them to think of new ways to give, act and pray during the coming year.  We’ll also be unveiling the plans around Christian Aid Week 2024 with the message this year: seven days, so many ways to fund lasting change.”

Iona Turner, Christian Aid’s Community-Led Response Programme Coordinator for Ukraine said: “My involvement in The Gathering is timely as it’s nearly two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, a grim milestone. I’m looking forward to sharing updates on how generous donations - from supporters, the DEC and also the Scottish Government’s Emergency Humanitarian Fund, are being spent on our work in Ukraine.

“Particularly focused on projects led by communities, informed by their lived experience of the conflict, which meet their needs while strengthening long term resiliency. For example in the villages near Odesa where the community wanted seeds to grow vegetables and equipment to repair water wells, allowing them to stay in their homes. We hear very little in the news about the resilience of local people, who continue to support one another and adapt to the many challenges they now face. This is an opportunity to share those stories.”

Anyone still looking to register for this year’s Gathering can sign-up here.

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